Performance Groups

Lively, elegant dances from times past and times present

Photo by Rachel Winslow

What do the Philadelphia Zoo and the Jane Austen Society of North America have in common? Their events have featured performances by the Germantown Country Dancers.

If you've seen Jane Austen movies, then you've seen English Country Dancing. Some dances are elegant, some rowdy, some romantic, some playful. Each dance has its own tune. Our performances include live music. In addition to dancing, we can add historical information and audience participation to the program at your request.

English Country Dance Performances

Video by Peggy Lieby

Country Dancing – Our English Country Dance performances can include traditional and/ or contemporary dances. Some dances were recorded as early as 1651 while others are being created today in North America and Europe. Our musicians play wide range of melodies; tunes from Handel and Purcell are interspersed with folk melodies and modern tunes.

Photo by Rachel Winslow

Choose our colorful modern costumes with a touch of English flavor, or our Early American daytime attire for events at your historic site.

Photo by Rachel Winslow

Maypole Dancing – Welcome in the spring with a Maypole Dancing. Traditionally done on Mayday, maypole dances are perfect for outdoor or indoor events. Children and adults will enjoy dancing as they weave colorful ribbons around the maypole to live music.

The Colonial Assembly

Imagine yourself in the drawing room of a lovely colonial Philadelphia home in 1775 or a ballroom from a Jane Austen novel in 1810. As you slip back more than two centuries in time, our commentator will help you appreciate what you are seeing. Our dances are recreated from period manuscripts, diaries, and historic documents. Colonial Assembly performances feature reconstructions of balletic style steps that each lady and gentleman was expected to learn.

Enjoy watching our Colonial Assembly dance the intricate patterns and steps of stately minuets, elegant cotillions, lively jigs and reels and formal country dances. Our exquisite Colonial and Regency era costumes are painstakingly authentic, and our musicians play the same tunes Colonial and Regency era dancers would have heard.

Private Parties

We can provide a dance leader to help your guests learn dances for your Jane Austen or Maypole party, perfect for home school groups or an afternoon tea.  Or perhaps your re-enactor group or home school group would like to learn Colonial or Regency dancing in the afternoon and have a dance or fancy dress ball in the evening. Our dance leaders and musicians can provide the program to help make your party magical.